New From Ruger: The Precision Rimfire Rifle

Ruger recently released a new handgun and a new carbine–and they continue by expanding their Precision Rifle line with the Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle.

The Precision Rimfire is a chassis rifle that, from across the room, could be mistaken for its full-bore brother at casual glance. It uses a very similar adjustable stock, the same bolt throw, the same bolt-pull (more on this in a minute) and an MLOK forearm. But it is, indeed, chambered in the ubiquitous .22 Long Rifle.

Ruger explains a dual purpose behind the Precision Rimfire. For one, it’s a cost-effective trainer for those of you who own a full-size Ruger Precision Rifle. Secondly, it is a ready-made entry option for rimfire precision competition – a small but growing sport that takes PRS style stages and shrinks them down to sub-200 yard distances. Varmint hunting is also not off the table for this scaled-back bolt gun.

The Precision Rimfire feeds from 10/22 “BX” magazines, making refills cheap and plentiful. The trigger is Ruger’s Marksman trigger and has a unique adjustable pull feature. The bolt pull on a rimfire rifle is, naturally, going to be shorter than any centerfire counterpart and is a 70-degree throw. But the Precision Rimfire’s bolt can be adjusted to run the actual length of a .22LR bolt pull, or to run the full length of a centerfire bolt. This was a design feature on the part of Ruger engineers specifically intended to complement the Precision Rimfire’s role as a trainer for full sized Ruger Precision Rifles.

The Precision Rimfire also includes a threaded muzzle. When we tested this gun at Ruger’s media day, they were equipped with Ruger’s own Silent SR rimfire suppressor. This combination made for a lightweight, hearing-safe package that made us capable of first round hits at 50-100 yards from a multitude of unconventional shooting positions, as well as rapid target transitions from the prone.

The Precision Rimfire features an 18 inch cold hammer forged barrel made from 4140 steel, with a 1:16 twist and 1/2 x 28 muzzle threads. It weighs 6.85 pounds unloaded. Overall length is just under 36 inches with the stock at its shortest length of pull. The MSRP is set at $529.